


Statera: The Balance of Yin and Yang

by alyaleah



Category: Original Work, Statera
Genre: Age Difference, Coming of Age, F/M, Friendship, Growth, Love, Loyalty, M/M, Multi, Prophecy, Romance, Self-Discovery, Self-Doubt, YinYang - Freeform, balance, sidekick
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:22:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25628167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alyaleah/pseuds/alyaleah
Summary: In a world where select few can manipulate Yin and Yang energy, equilibrium has been maintained by fair treatment to users of both sides. In recent years, however, this delicate balance has been threatened by extreme beliefs. Those who have the power to tip the scales are fueling flames of suspicion and turning man against each other. The world is disintegrating into ruins; droughts, floods, famine, corruption and distrust among Yin and Yang Congregants threaten to upend life as it was. Aletheia is just a girl from a normal family in Minato. Her family just well off enough to send her to her dream in life: the Congregate. When Aletheia meets Elora at the Congregate - oh beautiful, talented Elora - Aletheia realises that she does not have a Glorious Purpose. No, she thinks she has found her meaning in Elora. For reasons she cannot comprehend, she believes Elora is the one who will wrestle the world back into balance, and she is merely along for the ride. She doesn't realize her companionship to a Elora's journey is more important than she knows.Updates minimally every Sunday!





	1. Genesis

**Author's Note:**

  * For [isabelle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/isabelle/gifts).



> Hello! This is my first fantasy novel and I promise that if you stick around, there is a lot of interesting world building, sideplots and romances. Please give the story a like or comment what you think about the story, what you liked about it or what you think about what's going to happen!
> 
> I love interacting with readers so just let me know what you think!  
> Thank you so much and hope you like the story!

This story is dedicated to the girl I call Elora. Without you, this book would not have existed.

~

My name is Aletheia. Or Theia for short. I am a Congregant. To you, it might seem like I am the focus of this story. But in reality, I like to think that it is Elora. After all, my story is one that could have been easily replaced by someone else's. Perhaps you might say I am Robin Hood to the Batman in your world – or maybe, not even that, since I do not possess such heroic traits either. I'm nothing special.

In my world, humankind has discovered the ability to use the natural energy of the earth – Yin and Yang. We never progressed to the extent you do in technology, but we make up for it by advancing in other ways. But humans we still are, and war and chaos inevitably find us in some form or another. For years, Yin and Yang has ebbed and flowed, but it has always maintained its delicate balance. In recent years, however, excess usage of Yang and extreme religious beliefs has brought increasing turbulence in the energy that maintains our world, and we need someone that can unite the world to bring it back to balance – our Statera.

That person – the main heroine of our world - is Elora.

Her name and legend have been written down in countless books, but for once this is not the story of the heroine. This is just my story. And the stories of those who watched Elora become the warrior she is.

I do have to forewarn you that I am no heroine nor idealist, neither am I full of righteous heroics, working for the greater good – though there are many of such people. This is just story of a lost woman and her loved ones – a story of someone who has realised that their story is but a supporting role to the cornerstone of the world - and has decided it. If you want a heroine's story, go read Elora's. 

She is the light of the world, truly.

~~~  
"Theia, I would just love to go visit the Congregate. I've heard its beautiful. I've always wanted to go there. I might just go study something there and keep you company, how does that sound?" Aunt Pora gushed, her long colourful nails fluttering in the air.

Oh Senno, I'd quite rather you never come anywhere near me, I thought nastily to myself. But I forced a sickly smile on my face, knowing I had to be on my best behaviour before leaving for the Congregate.

"I'm not quite sure you'll enjoy it there, Aunt Pora. Energy studies don't seem to be your cup of tea. Minato is much more vibrant and suited for you!" I said instead, trying to keep a not-quite smile on my lips instead of snapping at her as I was wont to do. That would not do at all. After all, I was turning twenty that year, and had been a veritable brat in my adolescent years. I needed to prove that there was no reason to keep me from leaving this house. No uncontrolled outbursts and no childish fits.

Aunt Pora looked like she wanted to say something else, but was distracted by the helpers bustling around the table, carrying in the farewell dinner. The thin woman's face lit up, "Ah, I lost weight you see, I can eat all this good food now. I saw a Congregant the other day and he balanced my Yin – he says that was what was causing all my extra weight."

I ducked my head and rolled my eyes. She never had any "extra weight" to begin with. Aunt Pora was a noisy, superficial woman that I never wanted to have anything to do with, but my parents believed in supporting family. And so the woman still appeared regularly as a house guest – one whom I was supposed to show respect to, though she had done nothing to earn it.

Mother patted me on the shoulder, "You'll be missing this food, eat well." I thought I'll gladly forgo the food if it meant not having to see Aunt Pora and hear her shallow remarks.

"Eat the fish. It's good for you," Dad said, pointing his chopsticks at the steamed fish. That was "take care of yourself, remember to eat and study hard" in dad-talk for you, I thought, digging into a slice of fish.

"Aletheia!" Aunt Pora said sharply. "Where are your manners? We have to thank Senno for the food first." I put down my chopsticks and mutely folded my hands into my lap, trying to act appropriately as Aunt Pora led us all in prayer.

Inane chatter went on throughout dinner – about the recent weather, the recent attempts to develop Yin energy for electricity, the current Communion appointments. But most of it was superficial discussion. Non-congregants did not have many dealings with energy after all, and did not understand much of the work that went on. We -- no, they, left it to the Communion to make the decisions. 

Before I realised, something Aunt Pora said had agitated my parents and a quarrel ensued. I kept quiet as Aunt Pora and my parents dredged up irrelevant past grievances. She stood up hastily, the chair screeching against the marble floor before toppling backwards. With a loud bang, Aunt Pora slammed the door on her way out.

What was the point of inviting Aunt Pora over for dinner if it always ended up in squabbles? Something else I will not miss, I thought. I excused myself and cleared my cutlery, thanking the helpers for dinner. Slipping into my room, I locked the door, and sat in the middle of it. My final belongings were strewn haphazardly around as I tried to figure out how to pack them properly.

A knock came at the door, and the locked door handle jiggled. I reached over the mess and pulled the lock free, and Suren, my elder sister, poked her head around the slightly open door.

"Almost done then?" Suren commented, giving the mess a glance. I nodded, concentrating on folding my clothes. I knew what Suren was there to say, and I did not want to hear it. We had never been on particularly good terms, though our relationship was on more neutral terms now that I was leaving. But our fundamental beliefs have always been different, even if our characters were both stubborn to the core. For that, we took after our father.

"Are you sure you want to do this? With our family's non-Congregant history and your results... you could do better elsewhere. The career progre-"

"I'm quite sure thank you. I've made my choice. I'm sorry, I'm rather busy with packing right now." I cut her off rudely. Ah, I've got to control that temper.

"Well. If you've made up your mind. Here. Something for you. I remember my years away from home. Maybe this will be useful," Suren's thin, pale arm came through the door and she laid a worn black leather book – Scripture, I think – on the bed and retracted her hand.

"I'm on the early shift tomorrow, I won't be seeing you. Take care, and don't let ma and pa worry."

I lifted one shoulder. "Yeah. Thanks. You too."

Suren closed the door behind her. I blew at my fringe. It was not that I particularly disliked my sister. She was well-liked really, by family, and an accomplished mechanic in her own right. But I could not understand how she so readily accepted Scripture and all its beliefs when I knew her to be the logical, rational type. I also never cared much for how her mechanic background meant that she scorned "unnatural states of the mind".

The lot of them probably would be Yang users if they ever went to the Congregate. Ah nope, hold that thought, they would never do that. Too much hocus pocus for them, even though our whole city basically ran on Yang energy. Better to stay here in Minato, become a rich merchant or mechanic, even if it meant never understanding the intricacies of all the energy that runs through our meridians and surrounds us.

A flash of lightning lit up the sky and the resounding thunder reverberated through the walls, distracting me from my thoughts. A smile came to my lips at the rain splashing against the windows. I loved thunderstorms.

Recently though, the weather had been completely unnatural, with scorching days peppered with random flashes of rain. It was almost as if a trapdoor would just open from the sky and someone up there would dump a bucket of unwanted water down. One day, it had even hailed big chunks of ice, shattering one of our painted glass windows. Father had not been pleased.

Maybe the "someone" up there was not happy with us. All the excess Yang energy consumption and Yin production recently must be provoking some deity. I snorted. That was Aunt Pora and Suren's business, not mine. They could go pray for forgiveness on all our behalf.

Looking around my room, I realised with a pang that I would miss it. A grimace turned my lips back down as the thought that nobody - except for my parents – would miss me comes to mind. They too, had each other after all, and that will ease the pain. I hoped that pa will come to agree with my choice. Entry to the Congregate was not easy after all.

Though the non-Supplicant graduates were not always well paid... I needed what they taught. Senno, I needed to know what Yin and Yang was and how to use it. I had waited for this day for so long, hoping that I would find my meaning – my Ikigai, as the people across the seas called it – in the energy that swirled around us. I believed I was not wrong.

At least maybe the Congregate would be a new start, one where no one knew who bratty little Aletheia was. One where maybe I could write my own path, find my truth.

I wondered if I would make friends at the Congregate, if I'd find someone to argue about the intricacies of Yin and Yang, about good and evil and all that is in between. If someone would be willing to confuse themselves about our meaning in life with me or discuss Senno and Neewa and why all of it was a great big sham, really.

I shoved the black book into the corner of my trunk.

~

A/N: Seems like Theia is really against religion huh?

Please like and comment if you enjoyed the story, or let me know if there's anything you disliked! It makes a world of difference for me :)


	2. A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what a ship is made for

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aletheia leaves home for the Congregate

The rain was still beating steadily the next morning. I stood awkwardly at the front porch with a backpack slung over my shoulder, and the trunk at my feet. Pa and ma stood together at the door. His face was serious – as always, and her face was worried.

"Take care alright? Write to us once in a while," Ma said, reaching to give me a hug.

My arms carefully wrapped around her smaller frame. I've grown taller than her, I noted distractedly. Taller and bigger than her and pa too.

"I'll be alright. Take care of yourselves. You're not getting any younger. And the weather is only going to get worse from now on, the Communion says," I reminded them, unwrapping myself from my mother's embrace and giving my dad a brief hug.

"If you want, there will always be place at my port for you," Pa said. At this stage, I could just train a parrot to repeat the same words to me. I was saved from having to reply by the soft rumbling of a Zidan pulling up. I nodded at my dad and reached down with my left hand to tug at the trunk, and turned to the Zidan – it looked almost like the nib of a marker, streamlined and sleek. It stood probably a good meter taller than me, with a black top and white bottom, and the surface was unmarred except for a Yin-Yang symbol in the middle.

"See you, pa, ma." I grunted as I jostled the trunk down the front porch and into the rain. Rain splattered against my face as I clumsily made my way toward the vehicle.

There was a soft hiss as a rectangular door ejected from the smooth surface of the vehicle and glided open. A man, who couldn't be more than a few years older than me, stepped out from the vehicle and in front of me.

"Here, allow me," he grinned and winked, extending his right fingers towards the trunk. The long sleeved shirt he was wearing rode up his wrist with the movement, exposing a white tattoo – a comma with a black dot in the middle. His fingers twitched and a shimmer of something enveloped my trunk, pulling it from my grip and into a little drawer that appeared at the side of the vehicle. A soft gasp came from my mum, and my dad sniffed noisily.

Show off. But I myself could hardly wait to be able to do similar things. I smiled and muttered my thanks to the man, realising that I was no longer being pelted by rain. There was a dome-shaped vacuum surrounding us, the rain pelting off an invisible shimmer. He reached up to remove his black and white cap, revealing long brown hair that was tied in a careless ponytail. Somehow, he managed to look quite stunning with the messy hair. I tugged on my own mane unconsciously.

"Hi Aletheia – I'm Tomokai, but you can call me Tomo or Kai. I'm your escort to the Congregate." Tomokai introduced himself formally with a flourish of his cap and a bow.

"Good day Madam, Sir. Tomokai at your service. I would like to reassure you that your daughter is in good hands. I was from Minato before joining the Congregate. We take good care of our new entrants." He continued as he turned to face my parents, placing his right palm over his left breast and bowing, the formal way to greet elders.

My parents bowed back slightly. "Thank you Tomokai. We will not keep you longer," my dad intoned formally.

"Goodbye Theia. Take care."

I took a deep breath and pressed my lips together in a tight smile at my parents, giving them a final wave. Tomokai ushered me in with an exaggerated flourish and turned to wave jauntily at my parents. Wordlessly, I climbed up the steps into the Zidan. Tomokai hopped in behind me, and the door slid close with a soft hiss.

The interior of the vehicle was lined with two rows of double seats, and they were almost full. A couple of empty seats were at the front and back. The rows of faces – well most of them anyway, some were sleeping – looked at me expectantly. Senno, I had no idea what I was supposed to do. I felt my face heat.

"Okay new girl, introduce yourself!" someone from the back row hollered.

"Uh. Hi. My name is Aletheia. Or Theia for short. I'm enrolled in the Healing and Combat Faculty." A smattering of polite greetings reached me – then they mostly returned to their own conversations. I heaved a sigh of relief as Tomokai patted me on the shoulder, giving me an encouraging grin.

I picked an empty double seat near the back, behind the boy who had hollered at me to introduce myself. Shrugging my backpack off, I stowed it under my seat. The scenery outside was already blurring, and I realised we must already be moving off to the next destination. This was my first time travelling on the Zidan – I'd only seen pictures before and the ride was so smooth that I felt no bumps nor lurches. The trains and horse carriages in Minato could not compare.

The round, olive-skinned boy leaned over the back of his seat to talk to me. "So... Theia! Healing and Combat Faculty, huh? I'm in Mechanics and Research. Xue over there is in H&C too. Tomokai is an Assistant there as well. I don't suppose you know any congees? Ah where are my manners. Hi, my name is Nachin," Nachin rambled as he pointed over to a boy with white hair, then stuck his hand out.

"Hi Nachin. Erm, what are congees?" I asked lamely, shaking his hand.

"You know they – people like Tomokai – are called Congregants after graduation?" I nodded.

"Congees are the entrants. People like us who have not completed training," He smiled.

"I see... I don't know anyone going to the Congregate," I explained. This was something I was secretly happy about. A fresh start.

"That's fine. Kavi and Zita over there are from Dato like me. Say, did you know that this Zidan is a prototype? I read about it in the news the other day. It's supposed to run on Yin and Yang energy instead of just Yang energy like everything else, that's why they can use it on rainy days like today. Must be an expensive little bugger though," he chattered.

"I thought we weren't able to harness yin energy for machines yet?" To my knowledge, everything widely available ran on Yang energy because it was easily convertible into electricity for household and industrial usage.

"It's mixed I guess, it's still mostly Yang in there, so we can't rely on just Yin yet. They are working on it though. We'll be learning all about it at the Congregate. Well, at least I will at my Faculty. What's on the programme for your Faculty?"

I reached into my bag to pull out a programme list I had gotten a few weeks ago with my confirmation letter. "Here," I passed the sheet to him.

Nachin whistled as he looked through the program, then handed it back. "Wow this looks so cool, honestly. It's like some assassin-spy-ninja-samurai thing you read in books!"

I grinned, the enthusiasm of the boy was infectious. "Thanks, you're the first person to tell me that."

There was a little commotion as the next entrant – congee – boarded. I think his name was Kirei. He was from the city after Minato. The newest addition immediately piqued Nachin's interest and he left me to talk to the new boy. Well, at least that first conversation went well.

It turned out to be the only conversation with a fellow congee, because Kirei – or whatever his name was – was the last one to be picked up and he was pulled to sit next to Nachin. They were absorbed in a detailed conversation about yin and yang energy in electrical usage. Since I was not about to go sliding into other seats and chatting someone up, I contented myself with pulling out my journal and a pen to write. Funnily enough, the journal was a farewell gift from Aunt Pora. Though the woman was nothing to like, she gave good presents, and I loved the leather bound journal.

"Already studying?" Tomokai jived, dropping into the seat next to me. I snapped the journal shut hastily, and I could feel heat on my face. I really did not like unexpected intrusions. Though he probably did not mean to.

"It's a journal," I said stiffly, feeling silly for sounding defensive.

"Relax, I'm not about to snoop through some kid's diary." He held his hands up. I'm not a kid, I thought, slightly annoyed.

"So, why the Congregate? And the H&C at that. Minato's got plenty of lucrative possibilities for someone with grades that can enter H&C."

I shrugged, shooting his question back at him.

"Ha. Nachin must be going around telling everyone my designation already. You could say I did it because it's cool."

I looked at him from the corner of my eye, crinkling my eyes slightly.

"Oh alright. I did it because Senno told me to. I prayed about it and that was my outcome. So far so good."

Neewa bless us all, another one of those. I refrained from rolling my eyes and nodded. "I see."

He cocked his eyebrow and nodded his head at me expectantly, as if to say 'And you?'

"Well... I just wanted to learn about Yin and Yang, really. About the philosophy of life...and that kind of thing," I trailed off. "Healing because I want to help people – yes I know that's cliched." I narrowed my eyes at him as he raised his eyebrow higher. "And combat – well I just like combat. So I can be strong."

"Philosophy of life?" Tomokai guffawed. "What are you, eighty? Hydra bless us all."

I felt a twinge of annoyance but tried to tamp it down – not everyone was interested in such unsubstantial musings anyway. After all, they did not contribute to the world in a tangible way. It was a privilege, in a way, to wonder about life while others wondered about how to stay alive.

"Yeah well. Don't you wonder about Yin and Yang and good and bad and all the in between? It's fascinating. To me at least." I lifted a shoulder in a half shrug and traced my journal with a finger.

"Yeah well not to me..." He trailed off as if deliberating on something. "No matter. Do you have any idea what your affinity might be? What stream do you want to go to?"

"I'm guessing Yin," I said, uncertainly. The thoughts in my head seemed of Yin influence. I rested my face in my left hand, tapping my cheek. "Oh and I'm left handed. Though I know that's not a very strong indicator." I was unsure if I should express my inclinations. I knew the current trend was to prefer Yang energy. There had been proponents in recent years that Yang energy was superior and "cleaner" than Yin energy. I wondered if Tomokai is one of them.

"Don't worry about it. I know plenty of good Yin affinity healers and fighters. Anyway, your affinity doesn't necessarily dictate that you have to follow it. Though... most natural Yin users end up sub-par Yang fighters because they don't embrace their natural talents. But don't worry too much about it. You've got a while to consider things before streaming will matter to you." He reassured me – or attempted to anyway.

I hummed in agreement, though I silently disagreed. It was important to plan ahead.

"So, what was that bit of energy earlier on? Are you a Yang user then? I saw the Yang symbol on your wrist." I asked, pointing to the white comma on his wrist that was now covered up by his cuff.

"Clever one, aren't you. Yeap, I'm an almost pure Yang user. Haven't got much affinity with the Yin arts, sadly." He flicked his right fingers at my hair, and I felt a strange warm sensation rustle between my hair. Then, abruptly, it was gone. "Yang energy is better for manual labour anyway." He gave me a lopsided smile.

"Well, nice chat. You should get some rest, the journey will take another three hours and the welcoming ceremony is rather a lot to handle. I'm going to talk to some other girls before they get jealous of you monopolizing all my time. I'll see you around for classes, it's nice to have someone from the same city," Tomokai winked and got up from the chair.

With a tall and lithe build, long brown hair and a pleasant, if slightly androgynous face, I could see why he acted the way he did. Women – and maybe men – probably threw themselves at him. Well, whatever floated his boat. I shook my head slightly and turned back to my journal.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Alright, hello there all of you. We have half an hour before arriving at the Congregate. I have some housekeeping matters to attend to, so listen up please – Zita, wake Elora in front of you," Tomokai commanded, pointing with a long rectangular box at a girl a few seats down the aisle from me. He sounded louder somehow, his voice ringing clearly even though I was further away, yet he did not appear to be raising his voice. I wondered if he was using some energy technique to amplify his voice.

I craned my neck over the seats to see who it was. Zita shyly shook the shoulder of the girl in front of her. Elora, whose head was lolling out of her seat, opened her green eyes. She rubbed her eyes and pushed her light brown hair out of her narrow, tanned face. Zita hastily pointed at Tomokai when Elora blinked blearily at her.

Senno, that girl was pretty.

"I've got here with me your access discs – they've been imbued with yin energy, so please don't start fooling around with it, those of you who have had some basic training. You'll probably harm yourself before changing anything in these discs. They are encoded to your Faculty-rooms and your private rooms. You need these to get into most closed areas, and of course, your own rooms, so don't lose them. They are rather a bother to replace and will cost you a bit too." Tomokai informed us, as he slid open the wooden rectangular box he was holding to unveil a row of white discs that glinted faintly. He must have been warning the few lucky ones who had Congregant connections in their hometowns. The very wealthy often did and used those connections to tutor their progeny and give them a head-start in the rat race.

"These are a welcome gift from the Congregate, so your first one is issued gratis. They've been very kind to engrave your name, room number and Faculty, so I can hand them out easily now. In my time, they used to get all the discs mixed up," He smiled at some inside joke, and shook his head. "I'll be going down the rows now to pass them to you. Forgive me if I've forgotten your name."

It turned out that there was nothing to forgive, as I watched Tomokai glide down the rows, saying everyone's name as he looked through the discs and matched them to their owners. The man seemed to have some kind of photographic memory.

"Here you go, sleeping beauty," Tomokai teased, picking a disc from the box and handing it to the girl who had been sleeping. The girl received the disc with a fine-boned hand, a quirk of a sheepish smile on her face.

He continued down the rows, making his way toward me. "Aletheia," he said, picking one of the three remaining discs in the box and depositing it in my hands. I thanked him as continued to the last two people.

I turned the white disc around in my hands, it was a uniform shape and thickness, almost like a cup coaster, except that it was glossy and sleek, much like the material of the _Zidan_. So this was similar to a swipe-card then, giving us access to certain areas. As Tomokai said, my name and Faculty were engraved into it, against a faint background of the Yin-Yang symbol. There was also what looked like a room number (zero-five-zero-eight), and a seemingly random string of alphanumeric characters. The disc gave off a faint luminescence, and it seemed to be emanating a cool – almost calming – feeling. I wondered distractedly if it would shatter if I bent it in half. I gripped two opposite ends between my index fingers and thumbs and tried to bend it gently, but it was solid. Maybe if I threw it...

"Some of you might notice a strange feeling coming from the discs – I'm told that it feels like a cold breeze. No need to worry, that just means you are more attuned to Yin energy than some of us here, myself included," Tomokai paused, weighing his next words. "I'm not sure what you have heard from stories in your towns and cities, but I would just like to remind you all that Yin and Yang both have places in our world. And that disc is proof of the usefulness of Yin. Us Yang users will never be able to do something as intricate as that."

Yin... Why was the disc white, then? It was well known that Yang was associated with white, and Yin with black. I wondered as a buzz of excitement frizzled through the vehicle.

"But sir, I've heard that Yin corrupts us humans if we use it too much. Only Senno and Neewa and the deities – bless them – should be able to use it?" a small girl questioned, voicing what must be running through many other's minds.

"That has not been proven. Many of our Yin Congregants are as upright, if not more so, than our Yang," Tomokai's lips thinned. "You all will do well to study Yin and Yang theory in depth, and not let yourself be swayed by other non-Congregants' nonsense speculations."

"But sir – my cousin is a Yang Congregant, and he said ---" another girl started, before Tomokai cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"I will leave the proper theory to your Yin and Yang theory Advisors. Just know that I would trust my life to a Yin Congregant every bit as much as a good Yang's," Tomokai said with finality. Then clapped his hands together. "That's enough idle chit-chat. When we reach the Congregate, there will be Congees arriving from other areas as well. The respective Faculties will have a representative to chaperone you to your Faculty. For the Healer and Combat Faculty, you guys are to follow me. For the Mechanics and Research..."

~

The blurring outside began to slow, and I could discern more shapes as we approached and passed through what seemed like the walls of a large fortress. My heart hammered against my chest in anticipation.

Finally. After so many months of waiting, I was finally here.

I smiled at the thought of the tour of the Faculty and introduction ceremony that Tomokai mentioned in his earlier explanation. This was where I would be living, breathing and learning about energy for the next eight months of the term!

Now that I was finally here, I could let myself feel the excitement I had been suppressing, for fear of it all being a dream too good to be true that I would suddenly wake from.

"Alright everyone. Get your things. I hope you've kept your discs securely. We're here," Tomokai instructed as the _Zidan_ glided to a smooth stop in front of a vast courtyard. I patted the disc in my breast-pocket, then hurriedly stuffed my journal and writing material into my backpack. Tugging my backpack onto my left shoulder, I stood up and followed the queue to the door.

The twenty of us – I finally managed to get a proper count – filed out of the vehicle onto the granite pavement of the impressively spacious field. I realised a few other vehicles lined up, and other new entrants – _congees_ , I reminded myself – were similarly crowded around their vehicles. There were a few other stragglers strolling around, but since studies were not due to start until the next week, the area still looked quite empty. Or maybe it was just because the midday sun was currently _burning_ the skin off our bones.

"Come on. We've to get you lot to your Faculty in time for the noonmeal. Don't worry about your belongings, I've got them tagged and they'll be sent to your rooms shortly," Tomokai beckoned us as he strode towards the centre of the courtyard where a group of six distinguished and stern looking men and women were waiting – the other groups of congees from other Zidans were heading towards them as well.

"Ramiel! I thought you weren't coming back till the start of the term, old man," Tomokai called affectionately to a slightly older, bespectacled man and quickened his pace. The man named Ramiel frowned slightly, the crow's feet at the corners of his murky blue eyes deepening as he folded his arms across his chest. He didn't look _that_ old. Well, maybe the clothing he wore did age him slightly...

The attire he wore was called Qun and had two parts. The top was like what you might call a kimono, with buttons running diagonally from the collar bone to the right armpit, and was secured by a thick sash in the middle. The flowing robe ended around the knees for males, and around the ankles for females. The sleeves were loose but tapered around the wrists, with elastic bandages securing half the forearms. The bottom was just plain, loose fitting pants that did not restrict free movement. His top was black, while his trousers were white.

Typically, only the elder generation wore the Qun on regular days, as it was reserved for more special occasions. It was now more common to wear the easily fastened short sleeved attire, Tanzou. Besides, it seemed really hot...

I realised that all the other Faculties' representatives wore the formal Qun, and Tomokai was the only one among them that looked slightly less formal.

"Tomo..." he said, letting out a huff of air exasperatedly. Tomokai grinned cheekily as he threw his left arm around the man's shoulders.

"Keep frowning like that, and I'd be calling you granduncle soon," Tomokai goaded, using his right index and middle fingers to poke at the crease between the man's eyes.

The man seemed to blush slightly as he shrugged Tomokai's arm off his shoulders and batted at the offending hand. "Stop it Tomo. The congees are watching."

Indeed, the congees present watched the interaction with amused smiles.

A lady with a sharp face and shaved head clapped her hands together sharply twice.

"Alright those from the Politics Faculty, follow me."

Again, her voice cut through the vast space clearly and loudly, and it had a different quality compared to when "Ramiel" had admonished Tomokai. I was quite convinced that the woman, like Tomokai earlier on, was doing something to amplify her voice.

There was a flurry of activity as the senior men and women called out their respective Faculties and the congees flocked to them. It seemed that Tomokai and the man he teased was the youngest among them.

I stood, shifting my weight from one leg to the other, waiting near Tomokai as the congees in the Politics, Agriculture, Arts, and Mechanics and Research Faculty sorted themselves out. Three others from the same _Zidan_ seemed to be the same Faculty as well – Elora, the "sleeping beauty", Xue, the white haired boy that Nachin pointed out, and another tanned girl with fiery red hair and purple eyes whose name I did not know. We eyed one another with the self-conscious smile of meeting someone for the first time.

"The rest of you lot must be with the Healing and Combat Faculty then. Come over here please," Tomokai projected. He waited as the other congees made their way over. Their ages seemed varied, with the oldest looking to be in his thirties, and the youngest looking no more than sixteen.

Tomokai did a quick headcount – thirty-eight congees to our Faculty – and was satisfied that there were no lost sheep.

"Hello, what a handsome lot of you. For the benefit of those who did not arrive with me, I'm Tomokai, but you can call me Tomo or Kai. I'm apprenticing under Advisor Koehl for Yang specialisations. Fret not, you'll probably still see my dashing face helping out oldAdvisor Lokni here with your _Sento_ classes. He's with the H&C Faculty as well," Tomokai said, flashing a brilliant smile, his teeth pearly white in the noon sun as he placed a hand on Advisor Lokni's shoulder. Senno, did I just describe his teeth as _pearly white_? What am I, writing a romance novel?

I looked at Advisor Lokni – the man Tomokai had called Ramiel. So he was our _Sento_ Advisor then. Sento was the combat and defence class, and I was highly looking forward to it. I cracked my knuckles with my thumbs reflexively.

Advisor Lokni sighed, but looked more amused than actually offended, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly. He folded his hands behind his back and turned to us with a stern expression on his face. "Welcome, new congees. I'm Advisor Ramiel Lokni, you can call me Advisor Ramiel, or Advisor Lokni. I look forward to seeing all of you next week for our first Sento lesson."

With that simple introduction, we followed Advisor Lokni and Tomokai toward the Healing and Combat Faculty. As we walked, I looked over to the other congees, wondering if I should try to make conversation. I bit the inside of my lips and took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

"Hey – your name's Xue, right? Nachin mentioned your name earlier on," I said, turning to the white haired boy who was the closest to me. "I'm Aletheia."

The boy nodded as his almost black (was true black an eye colour? I wondered) eyes settled on me. "Hi."

Well, alright Theia. How do you continue this conversation?

"So... where are you from?" I tried, hoping to make some small talk.

"Gurnie. You?"

"Minato. Why'd you choose the Congregate then? Gurnie has it's own Academy right?" I asked. I'd heard of Gurnie's Academy before, and it was on a similar scale to the Congregate, except it was a little less well known and was a younger constitution. There were several Academies scattered throughout the lands, but the Congregate was the oldest and most established learning institute.

"The Congregate's more recognised. And I wanted to get away from home. What about you then? Why H&C?"

We continued with polite conversation as we walked, covering various innocuous topics like the reason for our choice, our hometowns and our limited knowledge of Yin and Yang. I felt a little optimism as Xue, who though a year younger than me, shared quite a few similar opinions, which made the time it took to arrive at the main hall of the H&C pass by quickly. Probably twenty minutes had passed though, considering the sizeable distance we had covered. I pondered about the full size of the Congregate. It was said to be almost a city on its own, with all the various Faculties and housing buildings.

Tomokai curled his right fingers slowly at a set of heavy wooden doors of the hall, and there was a slow groan as they moved open, revealing five long tables. The congees crowded into the entrance to take a look. Chairs lined the middle table, while the other four had benches on either side. The long tables seemed to be made of white oak, but the benches were made of a deep brown polished wood I could not identify.

A pair of couplets were hung on the wall in front of the middle table. I could not recognise all the characters of the language, as it was not native, but it seemed to relate to learning and hard work. A group of ten helpers was standing subserviently next to a small door near a square window.

"Tomo, really. Is that necessary?" Advisor Lokni tutted, frowning at Tomokai as he made his disapproval known quietly. I only heard the comment because I was near the both of them, and let out a huff of air in amusement. So, I was not the only one who thought Tomokai was a show-off.

I'd heard that it was generally seen as good manners and habit to refrain from using energy frivolously – not everyone could use it after all, and expending energy excessively could take a toll on your body. Though the tiny bits of energy Tomokai used were probably harmless – I was not sure yet. Yin and Yang knowledge was preciously scarce outside of the Congregate and lesser Academies, being guarded carefully as unfettered use of Yin and Yang could be dangerous for people who did not have the mental capacity or stability to control the energies. All I knew was from gossip that ran through the Minato grapevines, and most of them had dubious sources. Well, that and the preciously scarce scraps I had gotten from books.

"Well, what's the point of knowing how to use energy but not using it? Ease up Rami," Tomokai gave Advisor Lokni a self-satisfied smirk, and turned to address us.

"This is the Grand Hall of the Healers and Combat Faculty. As you will see, we take most of our meals here, unless you request for them to be taken away over there," Tomokai waved at the little window, and the helper behind it waved back with a reserved smile. "The middle table is for the Advisors like Advisor Ramiel here, as well as Assistants like myself. The other tables are freely available for you to sit as you like. We encourage mingling around with other years here, and the older years should always be willing to answer your questions – though I'm not sure willing is quite the right word compared to having been coerced-" Advisor Lokni cleared his throat pointedly.

"Oh it was just a joke. Don't be so uptight," Tomokai grinned, flapping his hand. "You congees can sit at the middle table for the welcoming meal today. Advisor Tethys will be arriving shortly to brief all of you."

We settled down on the benches – I ended up near the end of the table close to the door, next to the oldest congee and opposite Elora. Xue had somehow found his way to the other side of the table. Another group of congees were on our right, but they were already engaged in conversation.

"Sorry, I'll probably bump into you during the meal," I said to the man next to me, lifting my left hand.

"That's alright. My name's Enki. What's yours?" Enki said, the corner of his lips lifting in a half smile.

"Aletheia."

He nodded and repeated my name, then turned to Elora who was quietly observing our exchange. "And you?"

"Elora." She said, smiling modestly, her forearms leaning against the wooden table, one hand folded over the other. "Where are you guys from?"

"I'm from the Southern Area, what about you both?" Enki replied, looking at me.

"Minato. It's a small town-" I started, since Elora was looking at me expectantly.

"Minato? Really? I'm from there as well!" Elora exclaimed. "Oh boy, I didn't know there was anyone else."

Ah, she must have been picked up just before me then. I nodded and grinned at her enthusiasm. Well, at least we didn't know each other previously, I supposed it would be nice to have someone from the same town to talk to.

"Well, good for you both. I know for sure I'm the only one from my region. Say, are you guys Supplicants or self-supplied?" Enki asked. Supplicants were like scholars. Usually you were either a Communion Supplicant funded by the Communion, or a private Supplicant funded by wealthy families that needed Congregants for protection and other errands. Communion supplicants were either assigned to the Healer ward, the Battalion unit or as personal bodyguards to important Communion members. Supplicants usually had a Guarantor that watched over their progress and checked in with them.

I wasn't one.

Elora nodded and pulled out her Communion token. "Communion slave for ten years after I graduate," she said wryly.

Enki let out of a bark of laughter. "I know you Commie slaves are paid well, but I'd be an old codger if I had to serve ten years. I'm a private Supplicant – the terms are just five years of service. What's your assignment?"

"Well... I've been assigned as bodyguard to the Alicanto – whoever that is in three years."

The most important Communion members had positions named after the five mythical elemental creatures – Alicanto representing Metal, Ryo representing Fire, Satori representing Wood, Peryton representing Earth and Hydra representing Water. Communion Supplicants that were assigned to protect them must have strong leadership qualities and mental fortitude.

I shifted in my seat slightly, self-conscious. The two of them were probably quite outstanding to have secured their Supplicant status, especially Elora. Damn, girl's not only a pretty face then.

Enki gave an impressed nod. "What about you then, Aletheia?"

"I'm not funded." I said embarassedly, scratching my nose.

The two of them tried to arrange their faces into what seemed like polite acknowledgement, but I knew they were probably quite curious. Non-Supplicants made up a minority of the population at the Congregate, especially at the H&C. Usually the fees were a big enough deterrence that people thought twice before joining, and the exclusive society meant that most of the jobs were already taken by Supplicants. It was still an immense source of guilt for me that I'd had to rely on my parents – I'd nearly taken up a loan, but my mum had rejected fiercely.

"That's alri-," Elora tried to say, but she was distracted as a lady wearing the traditional Qun arrived through the doors. Tomokai jumped up from his seat on the other end of the table. The woman's face was weather worn and deeply lined, but she looked kind and wise, and a quiet strength seemed to emanate from the way she held herself. Her Qun looked tailormade with a light grey material (silk?), and it rippled around her ankles as she walked.

"Advisor Tethys! I've reserved a seat here for you." Tomokai said as Advisor Lokni rose gracefully from his seat. Advisor Tethys continued towards the empty seat at the opposite end.

"Tethys," Advisor Lokni smiled warmly, the expression transforming his face compared to the exasperated frowns or even the gentle eye smiles he gave to Tomokai. The two of them – Advisor Lokni and Advisor Tethys, looked at each other intensely, and a barely discernible moment of silence passed. But I noticed, a small twitching of their mouths, as if their lips itched to form words. Then the moment passed, and Advisor Tethys turned to smile at us, though her eyes seemed slightly unfocussed.

Strange. I could have sworn something had happened between the two of them in the moment. Something deeply profound and almost intimate.

"Welcome, congees. You must be tired and hungry from the journey. I'm sorry for being late, I was held up with some administrative affairs. Let's have our meal first, and then we can have the briefing and tour."

Advisor Tethys beckoned the servants – though I preferred to call them helpers – waiting at the corner of the hall.

~

How are you liking the story so far? Leave a comment or vote! I'll love to interact with you 😊

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please like the story if you enjoyed, or comment any thoughts you had about it!


End file.
